All-party team to meet SC committee on sealing drive

An all-party delegation will meet a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee to seek a solution to problems posed by an ongoing sealing drive, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today, while hitting out the BJP for boycotting a meeting called on the issue by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The meeting, held earlier today, was attended by three members of the Delhi Congress, led by DPCC chief Ajay Maken, among others. The BJP did not take part in it.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting held at the chief minister's residence here, Sisodia said Maken had assured them that Congress MPs would raise the sealing issue in Parliament along with Aam Aamdi Party MPs.

Hitting out at the BJP, the deputy chief minister said it was unfortunate that the saffron party's representatives did not attend the all-party meeting called to find a solution to the sealing issue which has caused problems to the city's traders.

He alleged that through the sealing drive, the BJP wanted to pave the way for foreign direct investments in retail in the national capital.

"In today's meeting, it was decided that the all-party delegation will meet the monitoring committee to find a solution to the sealing issue," Sisodia said.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Development Minister Gopal Rai, AAP leader Sanjay Singh and MLA Somnath Bharti were among the others who took part in the talks.

After the meeting, Maken said it was a fruitful discussion on the issue.

Maken also attacked the BJP for boycotting the meet.

He said the Delhi government had not yet met the monitoring committee since the sealing drive had begun, adding that the chief minister had also agreed to a meeting with the committee.

Sisodia said the BJP could resolve the issue immediately if it wanted to.

"The BJP has the government at the Centre. They want to finish off traders so as to bring in FDI, " he said.

The sealing drive -- shutting of illegal establishments -- started late last year on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.